Saturday, June 2, 2007
Puzzle by Byron Walden, edited by Will Shortz
PLANTINGTHESEED (7D Groundwork?) runs down the center and PIERCES (5D Runs through) this FIERCE (55A Cutthroat) but TIGHT (39A Like best buds) delightful POSTCARD (7A Deltiologist's purchase) of a puzzle as slick as through a ROTTED (22A Broke down) BIGARADE (50A Sour orange, in French cuisine).
This is what I like to refer to as a variety crossword puzzle, even though there are "professional folks" on the internet who insist on giving it a label indicating that something is missing. Would you call an OMELET (45A Western _____) a unborn scrambled chicken? Too much GRIT (33A Nerve)? -- ICANTLIE (54A Intro to an unvarnished opinion), even though I may have temporarily EVADED (17A Got around) an OMERTA (41D Gag rule, of a sort) the SPREES (57A Benders) of DRAGONFIRE (28A It might singe a knight, in legend) from those who hold themselves in EMINENCE (43A Distinction) are an anathema to any possible CIVILUNION (2D Coupling device?) especially when exuded by those who want to WINITALL (35D Sweep the competition). I take it with a grain of SALT (48A A pinch, maybe)!
I GRIN (33D :D, in an e-mail) at the thought of a real STEPCHANGE (1D Marked difference) by jumping in a REANIMATED (3A Jump-started) SMARTCAR (9D European two-seater) and driving past the STATETREES (30D Candlenut and buckeye) or even a TANOAK (10D Pacific Coast evergreen), with AHAT (12D "____ Full of Sky" [2004 Terry Pratchett novel]) and RIDE (13D Coaster, e.g.) with a SANDALED (56A Like centurions, typically) ALANLADD (18A "Two Years Before the Mast" star, 1946) look-alike to LIMAOHIO (16A U.S. city whose name is pronounced differently from its foreign namesake) for an EIGHTOUNCE (29D Sizable, as a hamburger patty) fast-foot presentation.
Weaving past an INDIANAN (21D Many an 11-Down fan), listening to ANGELINA (25A "Farewell, _______,", 1965 top 10 Joan Baez album) "o'er" the NITE (34A "Saturday ____", 1976 Earth, Wind & Fire hit), or CANTATAS (24A Part of Bach's oeuvre) replete with GCLEFS (42D Scoring leaders?), I'm sure I'd enjoy THETRIP (39D 1967 Peter Fonda film written by Jack Nicholson). Yes I know, I haven't TIEDIN (15A Connected) some entries of this variety puzzle, but they still ENDEAR (6D Charm)!
I'll WAGER (35A Something often laid at a window) that one cannot SCRAPE (1A Fix... or damage) up hotter clues for any variety puzzle than those for PIN (19A Green marker?), REIN (20A Silver holder), ANAIS (31A Literary name with a dieresis) (DIESES was an entry last week), or better entries than HUMPERDINCK (26A "Hansel und Gretel" composer), balanced in the grid with ONAHIGHNOTE (41A See 40-Across) (yes, 40A is clued as With 41-Across, go out nicely) and you know the answer!
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Illustrations (from above down): 50A and 7A, ("Bigarade" by Julian Merrow-Smith, a Postcard from Provence),then 7D, 28D, 9D, 39D (Planting seed, Chinese dragon, Smart Car, and The Trip).
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For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
Click here for original post with illustrations and puzzle grid.
